Why do the Kurdish speakers need a unified writing system?

Wed, 14/05/2008 - 15:24 — Admin

Today, Kurds use four different writing systems. Northern Kurds use a modified Latin-Turkish alphabet; Central Kurds use a modified Arabic alphabet; Kurds in formerly USSR use a modified Cyrillic alphabet; and some Kurds in Southeastern Kurdistan still use the Persian alphabet. The lack of a unified writing system makes publications and media in one part of Kurdistan useless in other parts. Without a unified writing system, it is impossible to develop a national Electronic Documentation Archive. Such communicative dysfunction is of particular concern in the digital age.

As the legend and pioneer of the modern Kurdish language JeladetAlíBedir Xan in HAWAR issue 9, 1932 once said:

"As I have noted before, the Kurdish nation will converge via a unified Kurdish language. The prerequisite of a unified Kurdish language is a unified Kurdish alphabet. This means that the Kurdish scholars and the literati need to develop a writing system that allows all speakers hailing from every Kurdish dialect to use that writing system."

Kurdish with a Pluricentric character is facing the same issues as Spanish and Portuguese languages therefor Kurdish can choose the same approach with unified Orthographic system to meet its enormous shortcomings.

Without a unified writing system the link between all Kurdish speakers and the true role (Literacy, communication, documentation, archive, and etc) of Kurdish as one single language will always be missed.